


Out of the Woods

by gummyrubi



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: AND THEN HAPPY, Ace judai strikes again, Alternate Universe - Gods & Goddesses, And More Fluff, Fluff, I made it, M/M, Tiny bit of Angst, even if ao3 says i didn't, forest god, happy birthday judai, i totally did, just blink and ya miss it, ruby is a rambunctious kitten
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-01
Updated: 2018-09-01
Packaged: 2019-07-05 08:22:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15859851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gummyrubi/pseuds/gummyrubi
Summary: The one where Johan lives near a forest and meets someone when he finally goes inside it, someone who may or may not be more than he appears to be.





	Out of the Woods

Johan didn’t mind living on the outskirts of a forest, away from the village he was born in. It’s the home he inherited and he was comfortable there. He had three cats who kept him company and they were his family, they were all he had. Anytime he needed something he always just go back into the village and get it.

That being said, he’d never actually gone into the forest he lived outside of. There weren’t any things he needed from there and on top of that, there were countless stories and whispered rumors regarding the danger lurking inside. 

These went beyond stories of wild animals and unexpected cliffs, more than just the chance of never finding your way back out of the forest, doomed to be lost forever.

Johan wasn’t scared, he just figured he’d be fine if never went in there—nothing called out to him, nothing about it really caught his attention. 

So naturally, the kitten he’d most recently adopted ran out of the house and straight into the forest one night.

“Ruby!” Johan called out, dropping the plate he’d held. Amethyst and Topaz, his two older cats, followed him to the door and stopped. In all their years living there, they’d never left the house, always seemed to shy away from the forest. 

Ruby had followed her siblings’ lead until now; tonight she took off through the door that wasn’t quite closed all the way, despite Johan swearing he’d shut it earlier. 

Johan didn’t hesitate before he ran after her, telling Amethyst and Topaz to stay behind. The cats were tense, but they didn’t move from their spots, watching them from the open door.

Johan rushed into the forest, barely noting his surroundings as he ran barefoot. The air was thick with the scent of oncoming rain, the light of the full moon scattering through the trees that became thicker, denser and taller the deeper he went in.

“Ruby!” he yelled out, again and again. He knew he was drawing attention to himself, perhaps waking any slumbering animals and making himself a potential target. But he didn’t care. His tiny black kitten wasn’t coming to him and she was so small, what if she was eaten or hunt or fell into something she couldn’t get out of—

A branch snapped behind him, causing him to stop and look back.

He saw a pair of gold eyes looking at him from the shadows of the forest.

That’s when Johan took in his surroundings. The forest was so dark it was near impossible to see anything in front of him. He noticed how cold it all was, how quiet too. Johan expected a forest to be teeming with sounds, especially at night and especially after all the disturbances he made.

The gold eyes kept him frozen, caught under their cold stare.

And then he heard a tiny meow.

Johan was about to call out to her again when a voice echoed through the forest.

“Why are you here?” The echoes were a little distorted, a little rough, but the voice didn’t sound all that menacing.

“To find my kitten,” he immediately replied, feeling for some reason, like he didn’t need to be afraid.

He received no reply, but those gold eyes regarded him a moment longer until they closed and something rustled through the trees. Johan stood his ground, and in the tiniest sliver of moonlight that streamed in through the canopy, he saw gold eyes open and turn brown in the light. The air around him dropped in temperature as Johan took in the appearance of the person before him.

He couldn’t tell much because of how dark it was, but the stranger was about his height, a little shorter perhaps, with dark hair and eyes. He wore what looked to be a cloak that parted where his arms were. And in his arms was a sleeping kitten.

“Ruby,” Johan sighed in relief. There were questions he wanted to ask—who was he? Why did he live in the forest? Johan heard the forest didn’t have any human life inside, did he live outside the forest too? But he didn’t ask any of them, eyes focused solely on his kitten. 

If he had been paying attention, he’d have noticed those dark eyes soften a fraction.

“I’m so glad you found her.”

The stranger shook his head. “She found me.” His voice was much less distorted than before; it sounded soft, but a little stilted, still.

Johan walked over until there wasn’t much space between them so he could carefully take Ruby who slept on. He noticed how warm the other’s hands felt, in the cold of this forest.

“Thank you…?” 

The stranger stayed quiet then, “Judai.”

“Judai,” Johan tried. He smiled gratefully at him.

Judai nodded and turned around, back towards the shadows he came from.

“Wait,” Johan said, his voice cutting through the silence again. 

Judai stopped, glancing over his shoulder at him.

“Do you know how to get out of here?” Johan looked shy but he didn’t know his way around and the forest seemed uninviting.

A ghost of a smile graced Judai’s lips. “I’ll walk you out.” 

And he started walking in another direction, looking back to make sure Johan would follow. He made sure he had a good hold on his tiny sleeping kitten and followed along after. 

Johan noticed a lot less roots and rocks in his way, through this path, but it didn’t look familiar to him.

Of course, he couldn’t be sure since he had never set foot here before and it really was too dark for him to make out much.

He didn’t know why he was trusting a stranger, much less one he’d found in the middle of the forest like this, but Johan didn’t feel like he was in any danger. 

His kitten had apparently felt comfortable enough around the stranger that she fell asleep in his arms, so he trusted her judgment too.

Judai didn’t speak to him, but did make sure Johan was still following after him.

“Do you live around here?” Johan ventured to ask at last.

“Something like that,” Judai replied vaguely. He jumped a moment later, ending up on ground that was lower than the one Johan was on. He hadn’t even noticed he’d gone up when he ran inside, following after Ruby.

Judai stopped and held a hand out, waiting for Johan to take hold of it. 

“It’s too dark to see,” Judai said, when he saw Johan pause, “It’s easy to fall.”   
Johan stared at the outstretched hand, wondering how Judai was able to see then, “Right.” But he figured he must just be in the forest a lot to know it so well. There were other villages near, down a path through the mountains, maybe Judai was from there and he’d settled down close to this forest. He reached out, feeling a warmth spread through him when their hands touched, and he felt light when Judai helped him down, the ground felt a little softer now. 

Judai released his hand once he was steady, and continued on. 

“You shouldn’t come into the forest at night like this,” Judai told him, farther up ahead and without looking back. 

It was strange because to Johan, it was almost like his voice was right next to him. “I’ve never really been in here before, but it’s much quieter than I thought it would be.”

Johan thought he heard a chuckle, but then thought it was just the wind that passed by.

The more they walked the more Johan wanted to stay and talk to Judai. Without knowing anything about him, it seemed like Judai was in want of some company.

The air became thicker with the scent of rain the more he walked, until the trees became more sparse and a little more light streamed in, but not much because Johan could see the clouds shifting and rolling, covering the moon and passing it.

Judai stopped at the edge of the forest, and looked back at him.

Johan could see his home from here, a little ways out, but it was there. 

He walked up to Judai, noticing he shied back into the shadows a little, when he got close. Judai’s cloak shifted a little, and then he held something out to Johan.

“It’s salve, for your wounds.” Judai said, at Johan’s questioning look.

“What wounds?” Johan honestly didn’t know what he was talking about, until he took note that his feet were stinging and he had minor cuts all over his body from the way the branches first cut into him when he ran into the forest. “Oh.”

Judai held it out until Johan maneuvered Ruby and took the small pouch. 

“Thank you for all your help, Judai.” Johan told him earnestly. 

Judai looked away, not wanting to meet his eyes. Johan could’ve sworn they flickered gold for a fraction of a second, but thought it must’ve been a trick of the light.

“You can thank me by not coming back.”

Johan stayed quiet for a while, carefully regarding those words. 

“Then, I’ll come back tomorrow.” And he started walking towards his home.

“Wait, no,” Judai started, but Johan just turned around and waved with the hand holding the pouch. 

“My name’s Johan!”

And with a smile, he ran back home, this time making sure he closed the door behind him. 

The rain started pouring the moment he was safely inside.

* * *

 

“You weren’t supposed to come back.” Judai said, walking out of the shadows once Johan had entered the forest the next night. 

He meant to go out in the morning but it was raining too much even then, so he waited until the rain stopped once the moon was out. 

His cats were all indoors, none of them particularly wanting to go near all the mud and wet everything outside. 

Johan had a little bag with him and pulled out some pastries he’d made. “A thank you, for helping me yesterday. And the salve was amazing, I woke up without any cuts.”

Judai seemed wary of the pastry until he eventually gave in and took it, staring at it before taking a small bite. He found it was delicious and soft and warm and sweet and he took another bite.

Johan looked proud of himself and took out another one, also offering it to him. 

Judai started to take it but stopped.

“I left a couple for myself at home.” He grinned, having figured why Judai stopped. 

Judai decided that must have been fine so he took the other pastry. 

Johan didn’t get any closer to Judai that he already was, and just stayed smiling at him until he finished them. 

“I’ve got to go back, but I’ll bring you something else tomorrow.”

Judai hesitated. “You really shouldn’t come back here. It’s dangerous.”

Johan grinned, “I feel safe when I’m with you.” 

If it wasn’t so dark in the forest, he’d have seen the way Judai blushed a little. 

But Johan didn’t venture too far into the forest, Judai showed up close by, almost like he knew Johan had entered the forest. 

Thunder rolled above them, because the storm wasn’t done with them yet.

“It’s getting late, I should head back.” Johan said, trying to see the sky but not able to see much through the trees. 

Judai looked like he wanted to say something, but held back. 

“Goodnight, Judai.” 

He watched Johan leave and hoped it would be the last time he saw him.

* * *

 

“Why am I not surprised?”

Johan grinned as he sat down in the small forest clearing he’d found, taking off the bag he had with him and opening it to show Judai some food and pastries he made. “Here, tell me which of these you like more?”

It had been almost a month and Johan had come back into the forest every single night since the first time they met. 

“Johan,” Judai began, but Johan played innocent. 

“I just wanna know which is your favorite so I can make more of it.”

Judai sighed and sat down across from him. He took one of the pastries and had to admit it was delicious. But so was the next, and the one after.

“How are you so good at this?”

Johan looked pleased, “I’m using my secret family recipe.”

In the month so far of seeing each other, Judai couldn’t recall Johan talking about his family before. 

“I like everything,” Judai eventually said, after they finished eating. 

“Got it.”

“ _ Johan _ ,” and it was the closest Judai had gotten to a whine. 

They talked about the little things, whenever they met up like this, and they only did so for a little while. 

Johan always got the feeling that Judai was always seconds away from retreating back into the forest, but he still indulged his every visit, no matter how much Judai told him to stay away. 

It made Johan happy to know Judai enjoyed his company. 

“You don’t have to keep coming here, because I helped you that night, you know.” Judai said, as Johan was packing up to leave again. 

Johan shook his head. “That was just the first night, I came back because I wanted us to be friends.”

Judai saddened, then. “Johan…”

But Johan smiled, cutting him off. “I’ll be in town for the week helping out at the school, but I’ll come back right after.”

And after he walked away, Judai wondered if it was a good idea to get attached.

* * *

 

Johan did come a week later, with stories about the village and how the kids there were doing. 

Judai listened with a fond expression as he ate the food Johan brought. 

This was something easy they had, the two of them meeting like this. Johan never asked Judai about where he lived, or why he liked to stay in the shadows, or why he never saw him in the day. 

He’d stood by the time they first met up after that night Ruby ran into the forest, when he’d told Judai he felt safe with him. 

Judai smiled a lot more now, and only half-heartedly told Johan to be careful because the forest was dangerous. 

He looked forward to every single visit. 

This was the first time someone had done this for him, and the warmth and happiness he had with Johan was something he hadn’t felt in years. 

He got comfortable with this. 

So it came as no surprise when Johan didn’t show up one day. 

Actually, he was very surprised. 

He always felt the moment Johan walked into the forest and tonight came and went without even a hint of him. 

It happened again the night after that. 

And the one after that.

Judai could feel his trees wither and crack the more sadness he’d allowed to seep into the forest. The stress on the forest would kill it, if he wasn’t in control of his emotions.

On the fourth night, Judai decided that it would be the last night he waited for him. 

He knew he shouldn’t have gotten too attached and yet here he was, waiting for someone who likely got bored of him and left. 

Johan was so bright and full of life that Judai had felt wary of him, at first. Why would anyone like that  _ want _ to come into the forest, into the dark and dangers? 

Judai had only vaguely been aware of him, until that night he ran into his forest chasing after his kitten. She was lucky Judai caught her before she found herself by some large predator that lived in the forest. 

And then Judai felt when Johan crossed the threshold, the way his light moved through his forest. 

Judai had had to calm all the animals in the forest, put them into a gentle sleep so they wouldn’t harm the human. 

Normally he’d let his animals do as they wanted, but this light was something Judai wanted to keep safe. 

The animals had come to expect when he’d spend time with Johan, so they gave them their privacy, so Johan wouldn’t have to worry about coming into the forest.

But it looks like he gave up either way. 

Judai worried at his lip, trying to keep his emotions down. 

He tried to stay detached, to keep himself balanced enough so the forest wouldn’t run wild without him, wouldn’t suffer too much at the mercy of his feelings.

But seeing Johan coming back again and again had him feeling more happy than he could recall, in his long life. His forest had started thriving again, its borders expanding a little more, its energy flourishing every time his heart gave a quicker beat when he felt Johan walk past the threshold. The animals could tell something was different too, something more alive and bright than it was before. 

He’d gotten complacent and now here he was, and here was his forest paying the consequences.

Judai could see the sun was starting to break the horizon from his perch up high in a tree. He hopped down and turned his back to the direction where Johan’s house lay. 

He took a step forward and decided that it didn’t matter how much it hurt, he wouldn’t— _ couldn’t _ —do this again. 

He was going to watch his forest wither, unable to feed off his happy energy again, and it’d hurt so much to see that happen. 

He walked deeper into the forest, slowly, part of him wanting to wait another day but neither he nor his forest would appreciate hurting even more.

And then he felt it. 

A faint twinge, but it was there.

_ Johan.  _

Judai blended into the shadows and stepped out at the edge of the forest, closest to Johan’s house.

Johan was back! 

But he looked pale, using a hand to hold himself up as he took another step.

“Johan!” Judai called out, rushing towards him. 

Up close, Johan’s cheeks were flushed and he was unsteady on his feet. 

“Sorry Judai,” Johan said in a rough voice, “I got sick, but I’m here.” He stumbled and Judai caught him, easing him to the ground. 

“You idiot,” Judai chided, but he couldn’t hide the little tremor in his voice. “You should be resting.”

Johan gave a faint smile. “Didn’t want you to think I’d forgotten you.” His breathing was shallow and his heart was racing. His forehead was burning up when Judai pressed his palm against it. 

Johan had been sick this whole time and since he was alone in his house barring his cats, he didn’t have anyone to take care of him.

Judai would’ve walked out of his forest in a second if he’d known. 

“I’ll be fine,” Johan insisted. His light was there, but it was fainter than before. 

Judai debated, between keeping him in the forest, and taking him back home. 

He had a choice, he had to make a choice—

Johan gently cupped a hand to Judai’s cheek, startling him and bringing him back into the moment. “Don’t leave.”

Judai stayed quiet. 

“Don’t leave the forest,” Johan amended. “You’re the spirit of the forest, you can’t leave.”

“But you’re sick,” Judai argued, shifting him so he’d be easier to pick up. Nevermind  _ how  _ he knew, he’d talk about that later. 

Johan shook his head. “I’ll be fine, just stay here, with me?”

Johan didn’t wait for an answer, his hand lowering as he fell asleep. All he needed was rest. He would be fine. He would. 

Judai would watch over him as long as he needed.

* * *

 

With some healing herbs he’d found, Judai saw Johan’s fever break a few hours later, but he kept sleeping until nighttime. 

Those vivid green eyes of his slowly opened, to see a relieved Judai looking down at him. 

“How long have you known?” Judai softly asked, threading his fingers through Johan’s hair. Johan’s head was resting on Judai’s lap and he sighed at the comforting gesture. “Since the beginning.” 

“But you kept coming back.”

“I wanted to be your friend.”

Judai lowered his hand from Johan’s blue locks until he found Johan’s hand, interlacing their fingers together. “I can’t leave here.”

“I know, that’s why I’ll just keep coming back to you.”

Judai searched those green eyes he loved so much for a hint of deception, and found none. “But one day—”

“We’ll figure it out.” Johan’s voice was sure, surprising Judai. He slowly sat up, shifting until he was sitting next to the forest spirit. 

“But—”

“We  _ will _ .”

“So let me stay with you, until then?” 

Judai kissed Johan’s hand. 

“Ok, you can stay with me.”

* * *

 

“Ruby!” Johan called out. “Ruby!” 

“Can’t find her?” Judai asked, hopping down from a tree. 

Johan shook his head, walking to the top of a pile of rocks so he could see a little further out. “Ruby!” He frowned. “Where does she always go?”

“She’s a curious cat,” Judai reminded, walking up to Johan and resetting the flower crown on his head. 

“Yeah but Amethyst and Topaz aren’t nearly this adventurous.” He leaned into the touch and briefly nuzzled Judai’s nose with his own before he walked off the rocks again, Judai following right after. 

“Maybe she’s hunting down some of those berries so you can make those pastries again.”

“You sure have a sweet tooth.” Johan grinned, like it wasn’t all his fault. 

Judai playfully stuck his tongue out at him. “She couldn’t have gone too far.”

But the forest had grown a lot, since Johan stayed with him. 

Where before it had spanned from one mountain to the next, now it spread across several mountains, covering them in dense, thick forest. It thrived and its wildlife lived happy.

Johan got better that night, and he went home, but came back the next night, and the one after, every day for years. 

Eventually, the forest grew past the divide between it and Johan’s home, until his house sat in a clearing, in the middle of it. Johan woke up one day to Judai hesitantly knocking on his door, and he’d greeted him with a kiss the moment he realized what happened.

That had been a couple centuries ago. 

They didn’t quite know when it happened, but one day they realized Johan was no longer considered a human. Couldn’t be, if he hadn’t changed a day since the first time they met. Even his cats were still around, large and majestic, playful and fun. Except Ruby, she was still small, bigger than an average cat, but small. But they all knew she liked being that small. Ruby was still the most playful, running off all the time. The forest expanded to give them room to run wild when they needed it, and a home when they wanted to relax. 

Johan wrapped an arm around Judai and they kissed a moment after that. 

Judai sighed into the kiss. 

“She’ll be fine, she always is.” Johan smiled, when he pulled back, “She led me to you.” 

Judai wasn’t quite sure what made it so Johan could stay with him, like he had. 

Judai was the spirit of the forest, its guardian deity born the moment the forest began, and will be here until its dying breath. 

But somehow Johan held some of that magic now too. That light he had from before was even brighter now and Judai couldn’t remember a time without it. 

The two of them stiffened when they felt a human walk into the forest.

“It’s a child,” Johan said, head instinctively turning where the child had entered the forest, miles and miles from them. 

“Go,” Judai said, “Keep the kid safe.” 

And with a grin, Johan walked into the shadows and appeared near the kid, intent on watching over them until he guided them back out. 

This forest was lucky because it had two spirits now, keeping it safe, alive and thriving.

And Judai was lucky because he had Johan, the light to his dark. 

The stories changed, once Johan joined him in the forest. They went from telling tales of horror, intent on keeping people out of the forest with stories of the dangers it held, to something brighter. They turned into stories telling of two guardians that kept people safe, that gave life and love to the forest, and each other. 

**Author's Note:**

> HAPPY BIRTHDAY JUDAI!  
> WITH 2 MINUTES TO SPARE ON HIS BIRTHDAY FUCK YEAH  
> It may say that this was published on 9.1.18 but for me it was 11:58 pm on 8.31.18 when I posted this lol  
> Come talk to me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/gummyrubi) and [tumblr](https://chocomonki.tumblr.com) to talk spiritshipping with me!  
> Also thanks to Bella for all the help on this I'm sorry I was so annoying hahahaha


End file.
